New report calls on governments to implement national policies on hepatitis C

A report published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has revealed that many countries around the world have been slow to respond with national policies on hepatitis C despite recent government pledges to fight the disease.

The report, Tackling hepatitis C: Moving towards an integrated policy approach, states that even though incremental progress has been made ‘concrete initiatives remain thin on the ground’ because of limited resources, data and information about the impact of hepatitis C. The report finds that, despite growing awareness of the disease, epidemiological data remains scarce. This improved awareness underscores the need for a co-ordinated response. However, global variations in prevalence of and approaches to addressing hepatitis C still persist.

The hepatitis C virus remains the leading cause of liver cancer, liver disease and liver transplantation placing a huge burden on patient’s lives and healthcare systems. Non-government organizations (NGOs) and patient groups are leading the way in raising awareness of hepatitis C and calling for rapid responses from governments.